Ivatan language

Ivatan
Ibatan
Chirin nu Ibatan
Native to	Philippines
Region	Batanes Islands
Ethnicity	Ivatan people Filipinos in Taiwan
Native speakers	33,000 (1996–2007)[1]
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Batanic Ivatan
Dialects	Ivasay Isamurung Babuyan
Official status
Official language in	Regional language in the Philippines
Regulated by	Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino
Language codes
ISO 639-3	Either: ivv – Ivatan ivb – Ibatan (Babuyan)
Glottolog	ivat1242  (Ivatan)[2] ibat1238  (Ibatan)[3]

The Ivatan (Ibatan) language, also known as Chirin nu Ibatan ("language of the Ivatan people"), is an Austronesian language spoken in the Batanes Islands.

Although the islands are closer to Taiwan than to Luzon, it is not one of the Formosan languages. Ivatan is one of the Batanic languages, which are perhaps a primary branch of the Malayo-Polynesian family of Austronesian languages.

The language of Babuyan Island is a dialect. Babuyan was depopulated by the Spanish and only repopulated at the end of the Spanish era with families from Batan Island.

Introduction

Ivatan is especially characterized by its words, which mostly have the letter v, as in vakul, Ivatan, and valuga. The letter e is pronounced as the schwa oun, or uh, as in Dios Mamajes, 'di-yos-ma-ma-huhs', and palek 'pa-luhk'. While related to the Northern Philippine group of languages, Ivatan, having been isolated, is most close to the two other members of the Bashiic sub-group of languages, Yami (Tao) and Itbayat, neither of which is indigenous to Luzon. Ibatan, spoken on the nearby Babuyan group of islands, is so similar to Ivatan that it is not entirely clear whether it should be classified as a dialect of Ivatan or a separate language, though each does receive its own code in ISO taxonomy.

Supporting separate listings is that Ibatan is 31% mutual intelligible with Basco Ivatan, the standard form of the language. With Basco Ivatan, more commonly known as Ivasayen, an adjective denoting the Ivasayen people who inhabit the main island of Batan, and Itbayaten, derived from Itbayat, the name for the northernmost of the three islands, is a third dialect, Isamurongen, a dialect with a vocabulary identical to Ivasayen spoken on the southern half of Batan and on the most southern island, Sabtang.

As implied, notable variation exists in spoken Ivatan although Batanes makes up roughly 200  and is home to only 18,000 inhabitants. Examination of the linguistic zones suggests that this is best explained by Batanes being composed of three islands rather than a single landmass, as these linguistic divisions roughly follow geographic ones, the notable exception being Isamurongen which is spoken on not only Sabtang, but Batan as well.

Perhaps this explanation can be seen most clearly in the differences in the dialects themselves, where lexical variation is insignificant, but phonological variation, often indicative of geographic isolation, is highly pronounced; The late advent of writing, which might have standardized pronunciation prior to divergence, could have also been a factor.

Variations in language

In the capital of Basco and the surrounding northern half of Batan, the area encompassed by Ivasayen, t is prominent, whereas in the Isamurongen zone to the south (Mahatao, Ivana, Uyugan and Sabtang) that phoneme becomes a ch.

Examples of the more visible variations of the Ivasayen and Isamurongen words and pronunciations are:

• tiban (to look) in Basco is chiban in the southern towns
• antiyaw (later) in Basco is anchiyaw in the southern towns
• kabatiti (patola) in Basco is kabachichi in the southern towns
• timoy (rain) in Basco is chimoy in the southern towns

Itbayaten is sometimes also considered a dialect. 2% of the total vocabulary does not occur in Ivatan dialects. Examples of different Ivasayen, Isamurongen and Itbayaten words that have the same English translation:

• adkan (to kiss) in Basco and the southern towns is umahan in Itbayat.
• arava (none) in Basco and the southern towns is aralih in Itbayat.
• bago (pig) in Basco and the southern towns is kuyis in Itbayat.
• otioyan (nest) in Basco, is ochoyan in the southern towns and hangtay in Itbayat.
• ipos (tail) in Basco is vochivot in the southern towns and also ipos in Itbayat.

The Ivatan language is basically a spoken language. Until lately, little effort was made to record the language in written form. What the young generation know about it is largely through hearing it spoken and speaking it.

Some tend to mix the Ivatan words to Filipino or vice versa in sentences, much worset is the combining or compounding of the Filipino words to the Ivatan words. One common example of this is – mapatak. This is derived from marunong (Filipino) and chapatak (Ivatan) which literally means "someone who knows" which were then compounded to form the word mapatak. This is actually the result of the influence of non-Ivatans who tend to speak the language and were then eventually adopted.

Another common mistakes that are often heard, is the mispronunciation of the Ivatan word like iskarayla – the correct is iskalayra – which means "stairs", and tumaraya – the correct is tumayara – which means "going up".

One unique characteristic of the language is its enormous street language. It is called street language because it emanated from the streets. Examples of these are: tanchew, coined from mirwa ta anchiyaw – literally means "we’ll meet again later", and nganmu, coined from jinu ngayan mu, literally means "where are you going". These are results of shortening the Ivatan phrases or sentences into one or two words depending on its usage.

Common Ivatan expressions have various origin such as:

• Dios mamajes or Dios Mamajes nu mapia
  Literally: "God reward you with goodness" or "God bless you"
  Usage: Used to show gratitude to someone
• Dios mavidin
  Literally: "May God remain with you"
  Usage: Used by the person who is leaving
• Dios machivan
  Literally: "May God go with you"
  Usage: Used by the person who is staying behind

The Ivatan language is characterized with its pidgin Spanish, spoken with the musicality of southern Chinese accent.

Similarities to other languages in the Philippines includes the presence of the glottal stop in the pronunciation of words.

Phonology

The Ivatan language consists of four vowels, 21 consonants and five diphthongs.

• Vowels: a, e, i, u
• Diphthongs: aw, iw, ay, ey, oy
• Consonants: b, ch, d, f, g, h, hh, j, k, l, m, n, ng, ny, p, r, s, t, v, w, y

Cultural terms of the Ivatan people

• uve, ubi, sudi- yam; staple crop
• sudi- taro
• wakay- sweet potato
• bulyas- onions
• baka- cow
• kaddin- goat
• kayvayvanan- friendship; cooperative work by a community which starts at the blow of a shell horn called a vodiadong
• payohoan- helping one another; work club of teenagers who alternate their shifts
• paluwa; chinarem; tataya- three boats used for fishing
• kabbata- legends
• laji- lyric folk songs
• kalusan- working songs
• sisyavak- humorous anecdotes and tales
• kabbuni- riddles
• pananahan- proverbs
• vachi- song leader
• mais- corn
• palay- rice plant
• dukay- sprouted mung beans
• rakarakanen- vegetables
• hagsa- an extinct wild deer
• vulaw a bagu- wild boar
• tatus- coconut crabs
• lakasan- tops of wooden trunks used for storing cloth and other valuables serve as benches
• dulang- low dining table
• bangku- low bench
• rahaung, camarin- a storeroom for larger farm equipment such as plows, harrows, sleds, card, and the ox-drawn pole used for clearing off sweet potatoes and other vines from fields being prepared for re-cultivation
• vuyavuy- a small palm growing usually on Batanes coastal hills
• talugung- a kind of conical hat woven from strips made from the stalk of a local plant called nini
• pasikin- small bamboo or rattan baskets worn on the back
• lukoy- bolo knife
• suhut- sheath of a bolo knife
• suut, vakul- a head-and-back covering woven from the stripped leaves of banana or the vuyavuy
• alat- baskets
• batulinaw- a necklace made of hollow globules (1½ cm. in diameter) interspersed with smaller pieces of gold in floral patterns and held together by a string made of fiber
• tamburin- an all-gold necklace whose beads are smaller and more ornate than the batulinaw, and lockets
• seseng, pamaaw, chingkakawayan, liyano, de pelo, dima s'bato, pitu s'bato, de perlas, bumbolya, karakol, pinatapatan- traditional earrings that come from the Spanish period
• angang- jars
• dibang – flying fish
• payi – lobster
• arayu – dorado
• mataw – dorado fisherman
• tipuho – breadfruit
• uhango – pandan
• tamidok – fern
• chayi – tree
• soot – generic term referring to the Ivatan rain cape made from the finely stripped leaves of the vuyavuy palm.
• vakul – woman's soot, worn on the head.
• kanayi – man's soot, worn on the shoulders.
• falowa – Ivatan boat, now usually motorized, for 10–20 passengers.
• tataya – Ivatan dory with twin oars, for 2–4 passengers.
• timban – church
• vanuwa – port
• avayat – a broad directional term used to indicate the west, a western direction or the western side.
• valugan – a broad directional term sued to indicate the east, an eastern direction or the eastern side.
• palek – sugar cane wine
• malisto- fast
• mawadi- slow
• mavid- beautiful
• kuman- eat
• minom- drink
• bapor, tataya- boat
• taw- sea
• ranum- water
• salawsaw- wind
• kayvan- friend
• mahakay- man
• mavakes- woman

Literature

Legends

• Datu Tayong and Batbatan Otang
• Orayen and Pudalan
• The Origin of the "Nato"
• The Origin of the People of Sabtang
• The Legend of Layin
• The Two Fishermen

Songs

• Laganitan
• An Domana ‘O’ Vohan
• Taao Di Valogan
• Hapnit
• Ladji No Minasbang
• Didiwen

Poems

• I Wanted Wings
• Meetings
• Alone
• Guide Me, My Guardian Angel

An kalilyak mu

Proverbs

• Ipangudidi mu u mapya nanawu.

Carry with you good teaching, always bear in mind sound advice.

• Arava u mayet an namaes u ryes.

There is no strong man when the sea is at its worst.

• Arava u ryes an AB u su vinyedi.

There is no current that does not bounce back.

• Tumuhutuhud makaysed a tachi.

The feces that is dropped is sure comfort.

• Ulungen mu ava u kakedkeran mu.

Do not gore the peg where you are tied.

• Matakaw ava dimu u kasulivan.

Nobody can steal your knowledge.

• Nyeng mu a hukbiten ta isek ni tatumuk.

Grasp the opportunity because the bed bugs will carry and hide them inside the floor.

• Kanen mu ava u kakamay mu.

Do not eat your fingers.

• Arava u susuhan da su vahay a mapsek.

No one burns the house of a good man.

Selected idioms

• Mahmahma u vatu kan uhu naw.

Stones are softer than his head.

• Umsi ava su vahusa u kamates.

Tomatoes do not bear eggplant.

• Tud da payramun u vinata naw.

They washed their face with what he said.

• Inulay mu ta tya naydited u uhu na.

Leave him alone for his head is tangled.

• Machitbatbay ka avan asa ka kaban amed.

Do not speak of a cavan for a measuring lime unit.

Phrases

• Hello – Kapian capa nu dios
• How are you? – Ara ca mangu?
• I am fine – Taytu aco a mapia
• I am not fine – Ara coava mapia
• Thank you – Dios mamajes
• Where are you going? – Ngayan mo?
• I am going to... – Mangay aco du...
• Where is ___? – Ara dino si ___?
• Straight ahead – Direcho
• How much? – Manyi Pira?
• How many? – Pira?
• Good – Mapia
• No good – Mapia/Mavid ava
• Yes – Oon
• I want ___ – Makey ako no ___
• I don't want – Makey aco ava
• I have a problem – Mian problema ko
• No problem – Arava o problema
• Good luck – Mapia palak
• What's your name? – Angu ngaran mo?
• Where is the house of ___? – Jino vahay da ___?
• There- Du nguya, du daw, dawr
• Here- Diaya
• Hungry- Mapteng
• Thirsty- Ma-waw
• Tired- Mavanah, chinagagan (south), navanax
• Happy- Masuyot, masaray
• Whistling- Mamito, mihiñoxay (Itbayat)
• Soft- mahma, maxma & mayuxma (Itbayat)
• Sea- Taw, hawa (Itbayat)
• Bird- manumanok, kangkang (Itbayat)
• Perpendicular- maybatbat, mipatinu-nong (Itbayat)
• Mud- hetek, xetek (Itbayat)
• Sea- Taw, hawa (Itbayat)
• Yesterday - Kakuyab
• Afternoon - Makuyab
• When are we going? - Antin mangu ta mangay?
• When are you going to cut your hair? - Antin mangu ka mapagugud?

Ivatan words

Etymology

Coined words are two words combined to form one new word.

Sentence	Coined word	Meaning	Usage
Mirwa ta anchiyaw	Tanchew	We’ll meet again later.	Street language
Jinu ngayan mu	Nganmu	Where are you going?	Street language

Loanwords are words in the language that have been borrowed from other languages.

Loanword	Origin	Meaning
Telefono	Spanish	An instrument for reproducing sounds at a distance
Domingo; Lumingu	Spanish	Sunday
Lunis	Spanish	Monday
Martis	Spanish	Tuesday
Miyirkolis; Mirkulis	Spanish	Wednesday
Juibis; Juybis	Spanish	Thursday
Biyernis; Birnis	Spanish	Friday
Sabado; Sabalu	Spanish	Saturday

Similarities with other Philippine languages

	Person	House	Dog	Coconut	Day	New
Ivatan	Tawo	Vahay	Chito	Niyoy	Araw	Va-yo
Tagalog	Tao	Bahay	Aso	Niyog	Araw	Bago
Bikol	Tawo	Harong	Ayam	Niyog	Aldaw	Ba-go
Cebuano	Tawo	Balay	Iro	Lubi	Adlaw	Bag-o
Tausug	Tau	Bay	Iru'	Niyug	Adlaw	Ba-gu
Kinaray-a	Taho	Balay	Ayam	Niyog	Adlaw	Bag-o
Kapampangan	Tau	Bale	Asu	Ngungut	Aldo	Bayu
Pangasinense	Too	Abong	Aso	Niyog	Agew	Balo
Ilokano	Tao	Balay	Aso	Niog	Aldaw	Baro
Gaddang	Tolay	Balay	Atu	Ayog	Aw	Bawu
Tboli	Tau	Gunu	Ohu	Lefo	Kdaw	Lomi

Similarities with the Tao language

	Day	Home	Friend	Eat	Drink
Ivatan	Araw	Vahay	Cayvan	Kuman	Minom
Yami 雅美/達悟	Araw	Vahay	Kagagan	Kanen	Inomen

Similarities with other Austronesian languages

	One	Two	Three	Four
Ivatan	Asa	Dadwa	Tatdu	Apat
Hawaiian	Kahi	Lua	Kolu	Hā
Javanese	Siji	Loro	Telu	Papat
Indonesian	Satu	Dua	Tiga	Empat
Malagasy	Isa	Roa	Telo	Efatra

Accommodation

	Ivasayen	Isamurongen	Itbayaten
Room	Cuarto		Cuarto
Mail	Tulas		Turas
Water	Danum		Ranum
Time	Oras		Oras

Approval and disapproval

	Ivasayen	Isamurongen	Itbayaten
Good	Mapia		Map'pia
Of course	Siyempre		Siyempre
Ok	Okay		Okay
Pretty	Mavid		Mavij
Yes	Oon		Uwen
No	Omba		Engga
Nothing	Arava		Aralih
Perhaps	Siguro		Siguro

Bank, telephone and post office

	Ivasayen	Isamurongen	Itbayaten
Money	Cartos		Cartos
Telephone	Telefono		Telefono

Colors

	Itbayaten	Isamurongen	Ivasayen
Black	Mavaweng		Mavajeng
Blue	A'sul		Maanil
Brown	Chocolati		Chocolati
Dark	Masarih		Masari
Gray	Mavu-avo		Mavuavo
Green	Birdi		Berde
Light	Marengang		Marial
Red	Mavayah		Mavaya
White	Mahilak		Maydac
Yellow	Mayuxama		Mañujama

Days of the week

	Ivasayen	Isamurongen	Itbayaten
Sunday	Domingo		Lumingu
Monday	Lunis		Lunis
Tuesday	Martis		Martis
Wednesday	Miyirkolis		Mirkulis
Thursday	Juibis		Juybis
Friday	Biyernis		Birnis
Saturday	Sabado		Sabalu

Direction

	Itbayaten	Isamurongen	Ivasayen
Left	Guri		Huli
Right	Wanan		Wanan
Straight ahead	Diricho		Diricho

Cardinal numbers

		Itbayaten	Isamurongen	Ivasayen
0	Zero	Siro; a'bu		Siro; abu
1	One	A'sa		Asa
2	Two	Daduha		Dadua
3	Three	Atlu		Tatdu
4	Four	A'pat		Apat
5	Five	Lalima		Dadima
6	Six	A'nem		Anem
7	Seven	Pito		Papito
8	Eight	Waxo		Wawajo
9	Nine	Sasyam		Sasyam
10	Ten	Sapuxu		Sapujo

Ordinal numbers

		Itbayaten	Isamurongen	Ivasayen
1st	First	Ma'num'ma		Manum'ma
2nd	Second
3rd	Third
4th	Fourth
5th	Fifth	Ichalima		Cacadima
6th	Sixth
7th	Seventh
8th	Eighth
9th	Ninth
10th	Tenth
L	Last	Ma'nau'di		Manau'di

Notes

External links